04/29/2013 - New Orleans Saints Announce 2013 Rookie Free Agent Class...Chase Thomas - Linebacker, Stanford (6-3, 241): Thomas appeared in 52 games with 47 starts at both defensive end and outside linebacker at Stanford, finishing with 229 tackles, 27.5 sacks, 50.5 stops for a loss, two interceptions, nine forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. An All-Pac 12 Conference first-team choice as a senior by league coaches and media, the Marietta, Ga. native finished second on the team with 71 tackles, tied for second with 14.5 stops for a loss and filled up the stat sheet with 7.5 sacks, one interception, four passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. - NewOrleansSaints.com

03/28/2013 - 2013 Stanford Pro Day: Chase Thomas, LB (6-3 1/8, 243) - Thomas ran the 40 in 4.80 and 4.85 seconds, did 21 lifts on the bench, and stood on the rest of his numbers from the combine. Thomas moves well, but lacks the all-out great speed required at linebacker. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com

02/27/2013 - 02/27/13 NFL DRAFT SCOUT FALLER: 5. Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford...In racking up 50.5 tackles for loss over his career, Thomas established himself as an instinctive, productive player for the Cardinal. Critics, however, questioned whether he was a product of Stanford's scheme, a stigma Thomas failed to overcome in Indianapolis by ranking the slowest among all outside linebackers tested in the 40-yard dash at 4.91 seconds. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com

02/20/2013 - 2013 NFL Combine, Most to gain: A versatile pass rusher, Stanford's Chase Thomas isn't the most fluid athlete, but he uses his read/react skills and nonstop motor to quickly recognize the action and attack with controlled aggression. He can be tough to block with his relentless attitude, but he doesn't stand out as quick-twitch or overly explosive as an athlete and could help himself in Indianapolis with positive times in the agility drills. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com

01/23/2013 - 2013 Senior Bowl: Although former Stanford defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has moved on to the NFL, he remains in close contact with many of his former Cardinal players. Fangio, the second-year 49ers' defensive coordinator, has helped prepare a number of the Stanford defenders for the NFL by sending them film on the 49ers' suffocating defense. For former Stanford LB Chase Thomas, the cut-ups on Aldon Smith have provided him with a way to hone his pass-rushing skills. "He does a little stutter, he'll go straight into a bull rush and then he'll go inside," Thomas said. "It's kind of a three-way move he has going on."

In 2012, Thomas was one of just two defensive players in the Pac-12 to earn first team all-conference honors for the second consecutive season. Thomas (6-foot-3, 241 pounds) tied Ben Gardner for a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss and also tied Gardner for second in sacks with 7.5.

At this week's Senior Bowl, Thomas has drawn interest from 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker and 4-3 teams as a defensive end. The Texans and Chiefs are among the 3-4 teams Thomas has met with this week. He's also had brief meetings with 4-3 teams, including the Cowboys, Dolphins, Jaguars, Falcons and Bucs. The Cowboys are planning to switch to a 4-3 after the hiring of Monte Kiffin.

"A lot of them talk about how I can play strongside linebacker and play over the tight end, which is pretty much the same thing I did at Stanford," Thomas said. Lions coach Jim Schwartz, who is coaching the South team, has been impressed with Thomas' play. "He's very smart," Schwartz said. "He's shown good football sense on the field." - Matt Rybaltowski, CBSSports.com

01/23/2013 - 2013 Senior Bowl, Tuesday: Speaking of looking the part, no linebacker was as physically imposing as Chase Thomas (6-foot-3 1/8, 241 pounds). The outside linebacker practiced and played with a lot of effort, throwing around fellow linebackers in a tackle-shed drill, and that helped make up for a lack of burst and speed that a lot of high-profile outside linebackers tend to have. On Tuesday, Thomas was beaten a number of times on a quasi-race from a two-point stance to a tackling dummy. Ultimately, he seemed a half-step behind receivers in practice and a bit slower than his teammates in drills. - Dave Richard, CBSSports.com

11/30/2012 - KEYS TO THE GAME: Stanford must do many of the same things it did while beating UCLA on Nov. 24. The Cardinal must control the game's tempo and the clock by churning out long drives with a consistent running game with RB Stepfan Taylor and high-percentage passes. QB Kevin Hogan's mobility will be critical, because UCLA is fifth in the nation in sacks, and Hogan will have to buy time to get off passes and avoid losses. He was sacked twice on Nov. 24, and Stanford could live with a repeat of that. If the game turns into a shootout, Stanford is in trouble, because it does not have enough offensive weapons to hang with UCLA. Defensively, the key for Stanford is to apply pressure on UCLA QB Brett Hundley.

Although Hundley is mobile, the Bruins have allowed 43 sacks, and Stanford sacked him seven times on Nov. 24. UCLA undoubtedly will make significant changes to make sure that doesn't happen again, and the Cardinal must counter those changes to apply pressure. When Hundley is harried, he can make mistakes. If he has time, he can carve up Stanford's secondary with his passing and running. UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin is ninth in the nation in rushing, averaging 125.5 yards, but Stanford's defense has done a good job of handling such runners, like it did Oregon's Kenjon Barner and Franklin in the previous meeting. - The Sports Xchange

11/29/2012 - 2012 LOTT IMPACT TROPHY FINALIST: Chase Thomas (Stanford)...Thomas for a second straight year has earned All-Pac-12 honors by leading a Stanford defense with historic accomplishments, including leading the nation in rushing defense and recording three of the school's top 10 performances against the run in three straight weeks. Thomas ranks second on the team in tackles (4.83) while recording 12.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He has forced two fumbles and recovered another fumble for a touchdown at Notre Dame. - Stanford football

11/29/2012 - 2012 ALL-PAC-12 FIRST TEAM: LB Chase Thomas, Sr., Stanford (2)...has been selected First Team All-Pac-12 for the 2012 college football season. Thomas for a second straight year has earned All-Pac-12 honors by leading a Stanford defense with historic accomplishments, including leading the nation in rushing defense and recording three of the school's top 10 performances against the run in three straight weeks. Thomas ranks second on the team in tackles (4.83) while recording 12.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He has forced two fumbles and recovered another fumble for a touchdown at Notre Dame. - Stanford football

11/25/2012 - OLB Chase Thomas had two tackles for loss against UCLA, giving him 12 for the season, although that is still just third best on the team behind DE Ben Gardner (14.5) and OLB Trent Murphy (16.5).

10/25/2012 - PAC-12 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT WATCH - WEEK 8: 2. LB Chase Thomas, 6-4, 248, Stanford: Why he has the second spot: Thomas was everywhere in Stanford's 21-3 win over Cal on Saturday. The senior linebacker tallied seven tackles against the Golden Bears, including 4 TFLs and a sack. For most defensive players that's a solid game right there, but Thomas also added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The fumble recovery was Thomas' second in as many weeks. Overall, the Stanford defense limited Cal to just three yards rushing, the seventh-fewest rushing yards allowed in school history. Season stats (seven games): 42 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10 TFLs, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 touchdown. Player ranking: Thomas is ranked 41st overall and is the 4th-highest OLB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings. Up next: After what the Cardinal did to Cal, things could get ugly on Saturday -- or pretty if you're a Thomas fan -- when Stanford hosts Washington State. The Cougars' offense has struggled all season. Quarterbacks Jeff Tuel and Connor Halliday have combined to throw the second-most interceptions in the country. They've also been sacked a lot, 24 times to be exact, which is the seventh worst total in the nation. - John Breech, CBSSports.com

10/22/2012 - WEEK 8 PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas, a senior from Marietta, Ga, led an impressive Stanford defensive performance that held the Pac-12's No. 3 rushing offense to three yards rushing in a 21-3 victory over Cal in the 115th Big Game. The three yards rushing (0.1 yards/carry) was the fewest allowed by a Stanford defense since 2003 (vs. BYU, minus-five) and tied for the seventh best in school history. Thomas had seven tackles, which included 4.0 tackles for loss in the game. He registered one sack for a seven-yard loss, a forced fumble and another fumble recovery. Stanford's dominating defense recorded 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and allowed only three points, the lowest since the 2011 season opener versus San Jose State and lowest in a Big Game since 1998. Stanford's defense held Cal, which entered the game averaging 5.0 yards per carry, to 3.86 inches per carry. Also nominated on defense were linebackers Jake Fischer of ARIZONA and Michael Doctor of OREGON STATE and defensive end Kevin Greene of USC. - Pac-12 football

10/17/2012 - PAC-12: NFL DRAFT PROSPECT WATCH - WEEK 7: 3. LB Chase Thomas, 6-4, 248, Stanford: Why he has the third spot: The only reason Stanford was almost able to pull off the upset against No. 5 Notre Dame on Saturday is because of the nearly impenetrable Cardinal defense. Stanford limited the Irish to under 200 yards passing and under 200 yards rushing. As if that's not enough, the Cardinal's only touchdown of the game came on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Thomas, who also recorded four tackles. Season stats (six games): 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 6 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown. Player ranking: Thomas is ranked 55th overall and is the 5th-highest OLB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings. Up next: Stanford will have to put the Notre Dame loss in the rearview mirror quickly because they have a big game this week. Literally. The Cardinal will make the short trip to Berkeley for the 115th Big Game against rival Cal. The Stanford defense will have its hands full with a resurgent Golden Bear offense that's averaged 494 total yards per game the last two weeks. - John Breech, CBSSports.com

10/16/2012 - 10-15-12 NFL DRAFT SCOUT RISER: OLB CHASE THOMAS, STANFORD...Although his season stats aren't overly impressive through six games (6.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks), Chase Thomas' impact for Stanford's defense is felt way past the box score with his constant disruption on the pocket and against the run. In the overtime loss to Notre Dame in South Bend, he was extremely active with stunts and pressures, attacking from different angles and directions. Thomas showed strong hands and wrists to stack and shed quickly to keep blockers off balance. He is tough to contain because of his energetic playing style and quick feet to avoid blockers, using arm over technique to gain leverage and break through the line of scrimmage. Thomas plays disciplined with a high football IQ, making a heady play in the end zone to jump on a loose fumble for Stanford's only touchdown against Notre Dame. Although he isn't naturally explosive or a quick-twitch pass rusher, he plays fast and hard with controlled aggression and goes at full speed any time he's on the field. Coming into the season, the senior's draft stock was all over the map, some believing he was first round material while others thought he was a late round pick. But Thomas' overachieving attitude and combination of strength and smarts has cemented his value in the top-75 range, and possibly higher as April gets closer. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com

10/07/2012 - OLB Chase Thomas had a tackle for loss against Arizona, giving him six for the season. He also had Stanford's only takeaway, an interception of a Matt Scott pass in overtime.

09/27/2012 - SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Cardinal defense has been outstanding, especially against the run. Its front seven is among the best in the country, and its depth and talent at linebacker is unmatched. Stanford ranks third nationally in run defense. USC rushed for just 26 yards against the Cardinal, and that included a meaningless 30-yard run by Curtis McNeal on the final play of the first half. Pass defense is still the Cardinal's defensive weakness, but cornerbacks Terrence Brown and Barry Browning have improved since last season and new safeties Ed Reynolds and Jordan Richards have been better than expected. Reynolds and Richards already have combined for five interceptions, two more than the Cardinal's talented safety duo of Delano Howell and Michael Thomas had all of last season. PLAYERS TO WATCH: OLBs Chase Thomas/Trent Murphy -- Thomas and Murphy have combined for 8.5 tackles for losses and 3.5 sacks, and they need to apply a pass rush while keeping Washington QB Keith Price in the pocket. - The Sports Xchange